Dawkins calls for ‘Catholic’ honesty

Dawkins calls for ‘Catholic’ honesty

Prof Richard Dawkins says he was intrigued by an Irish Times poll showing 62 per cent of Catholics believe the bread and wine blessed during Mass `only represents the body and blood? of Christ Photograph: David Levenson/Getty Images

People who describe themselves as Catholic but do not accept the church’s key teachings should be “honest” and admit they no longer belong to the faith, atheist author and scientist Prof Richard Dawkins has told a Dublin audience.

He said he was intrigued by this week’s Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll showing almost two thirds (62 per cent) of Catholics believed the bread and wine which was blessed during Mass “only represents the body and blood” of Christ.

Just 26 per cent said they believed the bread and wine transformed into Christ’s body and blood in accordance with the doctrine of transubstantiation.

“If they don’t believe in transubstantiation then they are not Roman Catholics,” Prof Dawkins said. “If they are honest they should say they are no longer Roman Catholics.”

The survey finding “should come in for a fair degree of ridicule,” he added. “I wouldn’t hold back on the ridicule”.